Chondrus crispus   Irish Moss, Carageen, Caragheen, Carrageenan   Family: Gigartinaceae      
In Ireland carraigín refers to,"little rock".
This is a species of red algae which grows abundantly along the rocky parts of the Atlantic coast of Europe and North America. In its fresh condition this protist is soft and cartilaginous, varying in color from a greenish-yellow, through red, to a dark purple or purplish-brown.
PART USED:  Dried bleached thallus of algae.
TASTE: Mucilaginous and salty. ODOR: Sea like
ACTIONS
1. Demulcent.[1,2]
2. Nutrient.[1,2]
3. Antitussive.[1,2]
4. Emollient.[1]
INDICATIONS- Used extensively in the production of manufactured foods.[2]
1. Coughs.[2] Bronchitis.[1,2]
2. Cystitis.[1] Irritations of the Kidney and Bladder.[2]
3. Cachexia (malnutrition and wasting).[1,2]
4. Dyspepsia.[1] Gastritis.[1]
Topically- As a lotion for chapped hands.[1] Dermatitis.[1]
SPECIFIC INDICATIONS: Atonic dyspepsia with nausea and heartburn.[1] Convalscence as dietary supplement.[1]
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS:   3X /day
Dried thallus  5-10 g or by infusion.[1]
The extract- also known as carrageenin, consists of sulphated, straight chain galactans.  The food grade has a molecular weight of  about 100,000 to 500,000.
            

ORIGIN: North Western coast of Ireland, Britain and Eastern USA.
DESCRIPTION: A red algae seaweed. The algae is green to purple when fresh but is bleached by watering and exposing to the sun. This seaweed has a cylindrical base and a flat, forked frond with a fan-shaped outline, 25 cm long 0.3-1.3 wide and 1.2 mm thick. The alga is green to purple when fresh but is bleached by watering and exposing to the sun.
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Constituents
Research
The carrageenins of low molecular weights (around 20 000), including degraded forms, ave been reported to have toxic effects in animals when injected and ingested,[1] but no toxicity has been observed in humans. Food grades of high molecular weight are not normally absorbved through the gut and are considered to be non-toxic.[1]
References
[1] Stancioff, D. J. and Renn, D. W. (1975) A. C. S. Symp. Ser. 15, 282
[2] Thomson, A. W. and Horne, C. H. W. (1976) Br. J. Exp. Pathol. 57, 455

Prebiotic effects of diet supplemented with the cultivated red seaweed Chondrus crispus or with fructo-oligo-saccharide on host immunity, colonic microbiota and gut microbial metabolites.
Liu J, Kandasamy S, Zhang J, Kirby CW, Karakach T, Hafting J, Critchley AT, Evans F, Prithiviraj B.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Gastrointestinal microbial communities are diverse and are composed of both beneficial and pathogenic groups. Prebiotics, such as digestion-resistant fibers, influence the composition of gut microbiota, and can contribute to the improvement of host health. The red seaweed Chondrus crispus is rich in dietary fiber and oligosaccharides, however its prebiotic potential has not been studied to date.
METHODS:
Prebiotic effects were investigated with weaning rats fed a cultivated C. crispus-supplemented diet. Comparison standards included a fructo-oligo-saccharide (FOS) diet and a basal diet. The colonic microbiome was profiled with a 16S rRNA sequencing-based Phylochip array. Concentrations of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the feacal samples were determined by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) analysis. Immunoglobulin levels in the blood plasma were analyzed with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Histo-morphological parameters of the proximal colon tissue were characterized by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining.
RESULTS:
Phylochip array analysis indicated differing microbiome composition among the diet-supplemented and the control groups, with the C. crispus group (2.5% supplementation) showing larger separation from the control than other treatment groups. In the 2.5% C. crispus group, the population of beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium breve increased (4.9-fold, p=0.001), and the abundance of pathogenic species such as Clostridium septicum and Streptococcus pneumonia decreased. Higher concentrations of short chain fatty acids (i.e., gut microbial metabolites), including acetic, propionic and butyric acids, were found in faecal samples of the C. crispus-fed rats. Furthermore, both C. crispus and FOS supplemented rats showed significant improvements in proximal colon histo-morphology. Higher faecal moisture was noted in the 2.5% C. crispus group, and elevated plasma immunoglobulin (IgA and IgG) levels were observed in the 0.5% C. crispus group, as compared to the basal feed group.
CONCLUSIONS:
The results suggest multiple prebiotic effects, such as influencing the composition of gut microbial communities, improvement of gut health and immune modulation in rats supplemented with cultivated C. crispus.
PMID: 26271359 PMCID: PMC4535385 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-015-0802-5 BMC Complement Altern Med. 2015 Aug 14;15:279. doi: 10.1186/s12906-015-0802-5. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Components of the Cultivated Red Seaweed Chondrus crispus Enhance the Immune Response of Caenorhabditis elegans to Pseudomonas aeruginosa through the pmk-1, daf-2/daf-16, and skn-1 Pathways
Jinghua Liu, Jeff Hafting, Alan T. Critchley, Arjun H. Banskota, and Balakrishnan Prithivirajcorresponding authora
Abstract
Marine macroalgae are rich in bioactive compounds that can, when consumed, impart beneficial effects on animal and human health. The red seaweed Chondrus crispus has been reported to have a wide range of health-promoting activities, such as antitumor and antiviral activities. Using a Caenorhabditis elegans infection model, we show that C. crispus water extract (CCWE) enhances host immunity and suppresses the expression of quorum sensing (QS) and the virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (strain PA14). Supplementation of nematode growth medium with CCWE induced the expression of C. elegans innate immune genes, such as irg-1, irg-2, F49F1.6, hsf-1, K05D8.5, F56D6.2, C29F3.7, F28D1.3, F38A1.5 ZK6.7, lys-1, spp-1, and abf-1, by more than 2-fold, while T20G5.7 was not affected. Additionally, CCWE suppressed the expression of PA14 QS genes and virulence factors, although it did not affect the growth of the bacteria. These effects correlated with a 28% reduction in the PA14-inflicted killing of C. elegans. Kappa-carrageenan (K-CGN), a major component of CCWE, was shown to play an important role in the enhancement of host immunity. Using C. elegans mutants, we identified that pmk-1, daf-2/daf-16, and skn-1 are essential in the K-CGN-induced host immune response. In view of the conservation of innate immune pathways between C. elegans and humans, the results of this study suggest that water-soluble components of C. crispus may also play a health-promoting role in higher animals and humans.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2013 Dec; 79(23): 7343–7350.
doi: 10.1128/AEM.01927-13
PMCID: PMC3837755
PMID: 24056462 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov